of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



189 



Burghead Bay. 



The plaice taken in several of the hauls in this locality were measured, 

 and the measurements are given in Tables V., VI., at the end of this 

 paper. On 20th October, 1903, a collection of 233 was taken in from 

 8 to 12 fathoms, the small-meshed net being around the cod-end. The 

 smallest plaice caught was 175mm., and, with another specimen measuring 

 193mm., probably represented the second group. The next smallest was 

 216mm., and the bulk of the plaice came between this and 30cm., 

 the majority measuring from 24cm. to 26cm., and representing the third 

 series. The haul in the Dornoch Firth two days later, in which 363 

 plaice were taken, corresponded pretty closely, as above indicated. 



At the beginning of December (6th and 7th), 1904, a considerable 

 number of plaice taken in from 4 J to 16 fathoms, in Burghead Bay, were 

 measured, the sexes being first determined and dealt with separately. The 

 number so treated in three hauls was 1737. These measurements are 

 given in the appended Table V. The separation of the groups is not 

 so well seen in these cases as one might expect. The great bulk of the 

 fish measured between 25cm. and 42cm., and in the case of the females it 

 was not difficult to see that they were separated into two groups, at 34cm. 

 to 35cm. The curve formed by the measurements of the males is much 

 less regular. 



The plaice in some other ordinary hauls, taken in from 5 to 21 

 fathoms on 7th February, 1905, were kindly measured for me by 

 Dr. Williamson, the sexes being distinguished, and also the condition of 

 the reproductive organs (Table VII.). The range in size was from 

 20-68cm., but the separation of the groups is not very clear ; females seem 

 to show maxima about 30-31cm. and 34-35cm. The size at maturity, 

 it will be observed, is about 41cm. fcr males and 42-43cm. for females ; 

 but the number of mature or nearly mature plaice was very small. 



COMMON DAB ( Pleuronectes limanda). 



The number of common dabs whose measurements are dealt with here 

 is 8094, belonging to 28 collections from the Moray Firth and Aberdeen 

 Bay. With those included in the previous paper, the total number of 

 common dabs, mostly measured on board commercial trawlers, is 26,230. 

 In many of the recent collections the first, or youngest, series is specially 

 well represented, and the facts show that this fish grows slowly. 



Aberdeen Bay. 



The collections of young dabs made here were taken in fine-meshed 

 nets, mostly from a fishing yawl, in comparatively shallow water, the 

 depths ranging as a rule from 3 to 6 or 7 fathoms. There are 11, viz., 1 

 in January, 1 in February, 1 in March, 3 in April, 2 in May, 1 in 

 September, and 2 in November. In Table VIII. appended, the measure- 

 ments of the fish in each collection are given in '5 centimetre groups. 

 Few of them show well in any series but the first. 



On the 3rd January, 1906, a collection of 323 was obtained in 8 

 fathoms of water. The smallest measured 27mm., or slightly over 1 inch, 

 and the largest was 63mm., or 2| inches ; the majority ranged in size 

 from 35mm. to 41mm. (lf-lf inches), and the average size computed is 

 392mm., or slightly over 1^ inches. 



The next collection, on 11th February, 1905, was taken in somewhat 

 deeper water, viz., 8-12 fathoms, and comprised only 16 small dabs. The 

 smallest measured 32mm., and the largest of the series 67mm., most 

 ranging from 3'5cm. to 4'5cm. 



